Method and means for taking off an elastic cover for limbs

ABSTRACT

A method of taking off an elastic cover (3) for limbs is characterized by applying a wrapping (1) of smooth material around the elastic cover (3) and then stripping the cover (3) from above with interposition of the smooth wrapping (1) between the stripped away portion (3&#39;) and the portion (3&#34;) still in position on the limb. A take off means for use in this method is characterized by a wrapping (1) of smooth material fitting around the cover (3) on the leg or arm.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of taking off an elastic coverfor limbs, as well as take off means which can be used therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of elastic therapeutic stockings, a large number of meansare developed through the years in order to facilitate putting on thesestockings. These developments are shown in a series of PatentApplications, i.e. DE-C-478 051, FR-A-788.477, SE-B-447 539, SE-B-455566 and WO-A-91/05498. The first document dates back to 1928, while thelast is from 1991. This shows that the problem of putting on elastictherapeutic stockings is a long existing one and solutions are stillbeing developed.

In practise it appears, however, that not only the operation of puttingon elastic therapeutic stockings, but also taking them off involvedifficulties and is maybe even a bigger problem then putting on thesestockings. Particularly older people do not have the power to take offthe cover and in particular the elastic therapeutic stocking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of taking offan elastic cover in which the problem described is removed or reduced ina surprisingly simple manner.

For this purpose, the method according to the invention is characterisedby applying a wrapping of smooth material around the elastic cover andthen stripping the cover from above with interposition of the smoothwrapping between the stripped away portion and the portion still inposition on the limb.

By these simple measurements the required force for stripping off theelastic cover is reduced substantially because the frictional forcebetween the stripped off portion of the cover and the portion still inposition is reduced by the smooth wrapping that will also be strippedand thereby slides against itself with very low friction.

It is noted that a wrapping of smooth material is well known in the artfor a long time, as shown by the documents mentioned above with respectto means for putting on, but nobody has thought of using such wrappingfor taking off elastic therapeutic stockings and the likenotwithstanding the long existing problem in taking off these stockings.The present inventors have therefore got out of a routine and thesesolution of the invention is hence not obvious.

Although the method according to the invention is suited for taking offboth covers for the arm and covers for the leg, particularly the latteris an even bigger problem resulting from the presence of the heel-insteparea which has a substantially larger circumference than the overlyingleg part and therefore additional power is needed to pull the tightportion of the elastic stocking over this heel-instep area. In thisapplication it is favourable to use a tapering wrapping which is put onto such an extent that it is positioned tightly against the heel andinstep. This ensures that the wrapping remains stationary in this areaand that the overlying portion of the wrapping slides by when thestocking is stripped off. The tapering of the wrapping also enables theuse of a single wrapping size for a variety of foot and hand sizes alsowith inelastic wrappings. With the cover for the arm, the hand causesproblems during the take off operation since the circumference thereofis larger than that of the wrist.

The invention also includes the take off means for use in the methoddescribed above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further illustrated with reference to the drawingshowing an embodiment of the invention by way of example.

FIG. 1 is a view of an exemplary embodiment of the take off meansaccording to the invention.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate in side view three stages of the method of takingoff a therapeutic elastic stocking.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 schematically shows the take off means according to the inventionin its configuration of a wrapping 1 which is formed of a thin, suppleand smooth material having a very low coefficient of friction inrelation to itself. As an example thereof a nylon-fabric having ateflon-coating can be mentioned. The wrapping 1 is tapered in this caseand is closed on the end 2 which is intended for the toe of the foot.Particularly in the tapering embodiment, the wrapping 1 may also beopened on both ends. Preferably only one or two sizes of wrappings areused, whereby the tapering ensures that the wrapping 1 can be put aroundboth thick and slim feet. The circumference of the heel-instep area ofthe foot will determine the extent to which the wrapping 1 can be puton. The extent to which the wrapping 1 can be positioned around the footand leg is not important as long as a portion of the wrapping 1 extendsbeyond the heel-instep area. In practice, the circumference of theheel-instep area varies between 29 and 40 cm so that the tapering shouldcover this range largely in case of a universal take off means.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate the method of taking off an elastic stocking 3which is shown in its position in use around the foot 4 and theoverlying part of the leg 5. In this case, the elastic stocking is shownhaving a open toe, but the invention is also suited for stockings havinga closed toe and for all other types of elastic stockings.

FIG. 2 shows the start of the method in which the wrapping 1 is appliedaround the foot 4 and the leg 5 and over the stocking 3 until thewrapping 1 is tightly clamped against the heel-instep area 6 of the foot4. The overlying portion of the wrapping 1 will broadly surround the leg5 but this does not affect the method.

FIG. 3 shows that the elastic stocking 3 is stripped off downwardly fromthe upper end wherein the upper portion of the stocking 3 is pulled overthe heel-instep area 6 relatively easily because the upper end of theelastic stocking is relatively wide. The problems start particularlythen when the portion of the elastic stocking 3 intended for the areaabove the ankle of the foot 4 should be pulled over the heel-instep area6. It is shown in FIG. 3 that when the elastic stocking 3 is strippedoff downwardly, the upper portion of the wrapping 1 is squeezed betweenthe stripped off portion 3' of the elastic stocking 3 and the portion 3"of the stocking 3 which is still in position on the leg, and istherewith also folded back so that a double layer of the smooth materialof the wrapping 1 is formed. The tightly positioned portion of thewrapping 1 in the heel-instep area 6 works as a kind of trap ensuringthat the lower portion of the wrapping 1 remains in position and theupper portion of the wrapping 1 being forced to being stripped offdownwardly along itself. Due to the formed double layer of smoothmaterial of the wrapping 1 both layers of the wrapping 1 slide alongsidewith little frictional force.

FIG. 4 shows the stage of taking off the elastic stocking 3 in which themost narrow portion of the elastic stocking 3 is pulled over theheel-instep area 6. The stocking 3 and the wrapping 1 are then strippedoff simultaneously so that both between the stocking 3 and theheel-instep area 6 and between the stocking 3 and the wrapping 1 thereis hardly a sliding movement and the only sliding movement is causedbetween both layers of the wrapping 1. Due to the very low coefficientfriction of the material of the wrapping 1 with itself, the frictionalforce during taking off of the stocking 1 by means of the wrapping 3will be substantially reduced, said frictional force would have causedthe major part of the total take off force without the wrapping 1. Thetake off operation with the wrapping 1 in fact requires almost only theforce which is necessary to stretch the narrow portion of the elasticstocking 3 up to the circumferential size of the heel-instep area 6.

Tests have shown that, depending on material and elastic pressure, themaximum take off force during the take off operation of the elastictherapeutic stocking 3 with the use of the take off means describedabove in its embodiment of the wrapping 1 is decreased by 30-50% inrelation to the force during the take off without any means. Forexample, instead of a take off force of 12 kg, a take off force of only7.5 kg is required. This facilitates the take off operationsubstantially and enables elderly people to take off their therapeuticstockings themselves. Further, the use of the take off means is verysimple and does not require complicated manipulation.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown in the drawingand described herein before which may be varied in different mannerswithin the slope of the invention. For example, the take off means couldalso be circumferentially elastic in at least part of its length inorder to be used for different thicknesses of feet and legs. In case ofan inelastic material of the wrapping, elastic inserts could be usedpossibly covered by flaps of the smooth material in order to form asmooth surface the whole length and circumference of the wrapping 1.

We claim:
 1. A method of removing an elastic therapeutic cover from ahuman limb comprising:providing a wrapping having inner and outersurfaces, the outer surface being sufficiently smooth so that it canslide against itself with low friction, placing the wrapping around theelastic cover, the cover having opposed ends, everting one end of thecover and stripping the everted end toward the other end of the cover tocause the wrapping to become everted within the everted cover to adouble layer such that the outer surface of the wrapping slides againstitself as the everted portion of the cover and the wrapping is advanced.2. Method according to claim 1 for taking off an elastic therapeuticstocking from a leg and foot, in which a tapered wrapping is used whichis pulled on to such extent that it is tightly positioned against theheel and instep of the foot.
 3. A device for removing an elastictherapeutic cover from a human limb comprising:a generally tubularwrapping of thin flexible material having an opening at one end adaptedand sized to receive the limb and cover, and being evertable with thecover; the material being defined by an inner surface and an externallyexposed outer surface on opposite sides of the material, the materialcomprising a fabric or composite coated, at least on the outer surface,with a material having low-friction properties; the inner surface beingengageable with the cover and the outer surface being sufficientlysmooth so that, when everted with the cover, it can slide against itselfwith low friction wherein, when placed on a foot to remove an elasticcover, the wrapping covers at least a portion of the foot and leg,extending beyond the heel and instep area of the foot, and surrounds atleast a portion of the leg.
 4. A device according to claim 3, whereinthe wrapping has a tapering configuration.
 5. A device according toclaim 3 or 4, wherein the wrapping is closed on one end.
 6. A deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein the material of the wrapping is inelastic.7. A device according to claim 3, wherein the wrapping iscircumferentially elastic at least in part lengthwise.